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NTH English Club
NTH's English Club, or sometimes referred to as NTH's English Speaking Club, is an extracurricular and all-English club at Nguyen Thuong Hien High School, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. It organizes weekly meetings on Saturday afternoon from 1:30pm to 5:00pm (2 sessions with one and half an hour each and a break between them) at the school's Multimedia Room No.5. The official website of the Club is http://www.facebook.com/nthenglishclub Principle and Aim The club is dedicated to the improvement of English skills, especially the public speaking skills, of its members and staff. Hence the Club's main activities each week involve the interaction of the members and have them use their English as much as possible so that they can get better at it. That is why it always puts a strong emphasis on the discussion part and the debate part in the club's program. Although the two parts mentioned above could be really boring, considered by some people, the club still has its ways to enhance them by choosing attractive topics and employing the humorous style of hosting. Also, avoiding cliches and trying not to repeat the same phrases ad nauseam is also a noticeable method being used here. Not only does the club provide normal English activities, but it also organizes a string of various other events such as The Halloween Party, NTH's Got Talent, Christmas Party, etc. Those events listed previously are good opportunities for the students of NTH High to show their exceptional talents, giving them a chance to perform in a school-wide stage. History 'The Past English Club' It was a club established by Foreign Language Department of the school some time in the dim and distant past. It was mainly operated by the faculty of the School especially the Foreign Language Teachers. They arranged a themed meeting every month with a view to helping the students to relax after the long, hard time learning at school and giving them a chance to participate in extracurricular activity (which was not obligatory at the time) as well as to improve their own English level. Unfortunately, due to numerous different occurrences and lack of funding, the club was consequently forced to close down. And from that on, there was no actual English activities heard of in Nguyen Thuong Hien High school until the creation of the new English Club. 'NTH's English Club (NTHEC; 2008 - present)' Along with the increasing amount of clubs of the school plus the stronger support and funding for extracurricular activity, English Club was again revitalized itself by the students this time. In 2008, a group of four schoolgirls planned the reconstruction of the Club. It was a collaborative project of AVA and ATCA, 2 of the classes that are specialized in English. They were the first founders of the current English Club who laid the very foundation for today's success. They started everything from scratch without any support, both mentally and financially from the school's board. At first, it was a weak, nascent, destitute and underground club with no official standing at the school. The founders at the time had to fund the activities for themselves and asked for the support from its members, which there were not too many because the students did not pay much attention to it. The Club usually ran a seires of meetings based on special dates such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, Tet Holiday etc. on an irregular basis. The number of people attending these events invariably fluctuated between somewhat 20 or less and they had to register in advance in order to participate. Although the Club could only have a paucity of people taking part in its activities, it can be said with clear confidence that those events were a brand new breeze blowing right through the rigid atmosphere of the School at the time, paving path for the upcoming, new and exciting changes. In those old days, NTH's English Club did not have a fixed club room to operate, whenever they needed one, the head of the club submitted the request for a location to the Supervisor Department. And only after so many unnecessary and pro forma procedures could they be given one. But there was an advantage to that: the Club could do whatever they liked such as field games, etc. which the present club would not be able to provide to its members because of the school's regulations. They enjoyed the privilege of being the out-law and they did not have to bear any responsibility to the school. Be that as it may, the only downside that they had was that they were not allowed to organize any significant event on their own as they were not an official club of the school. That was something really lamentable and woeful to the club. As time went by, the second generation of the club took office. In the year of 2009, some teachers saw the great potentials that the club possesses and decided to make it an official extracurricular club. From that day on, it was put directly under the school's Foreign Language Department's surveillance. Hence, the rules were tightened especially on punctuality and discipline. A teacher advisor from Foreign Language Department was appointed to oversee the club's organization and activity. And, more than all of that, the club now acquires a permanent clubroom to operate. It is equipped with an LCD, an air conditioner, a not-so-modern-but-kind-of-useful computer. The staff and the members can use those at their disposal every Saturday afternoon to organize events and meetings. Escaping the quandary faced by the former leaders, this new generation and those onward bear greater responsibility on their shoulders. But with the strengh that no other clubs can ever have, NTH's English Club is now the most burgeoning club in the whole school. The number of members of the club is now exceeding over 80 and keeps rising. Organization and Structure 'The Departments' Categorically, there are several different departments since the beginning of the Club. Staff members are placed into various departments depending on what they are capable of. The first four basic departments were created by the second generation of the English Club in 2010 and each of them performs a specific function They are: ''Educational Department Staff members working in this department hold the title of Academic Consultant. They are mainly responsible for preparing each week plan. To incorporate what English knowledge into the lesson taught to the members is one of the examples of what they do. This position requires great time commitment for researching and finding suitable material from all possible sources, trying to add more useful things into each week's meeting and expertise in curriculum building and teaching. Moreover, the department also set up several projects on pedagogic principles. A keen and organized mind is prerequisite condition for anyone who wish to apply for the job as an Academic Consultant. Being judicious and cognizant is also a requirement for staff members here. The Vice Director of NTH's English Club is usually appointed to be the head of this department. Human Resources Department Considered as the headhunter of the English Club, this department helps with recruiting new staff members and putting them in the appropriate positions. But during the past few years, the need for this department starts to dwindle as the recruitment job is now the responsibility of all members of staff. An additional, and mostly accessory, position known as Personnel Manager or Chief of Staff is the head of this department. This person can be chosen from member of other departments in the club. Multimedia Department Graphic Designer is the official title of the members in this special department. In order to be accepted for this post, applicants are asked to perform their proficiency in using Photoshop, demonstrate their very innate creativity and always remain up-to-date with the knowledge of contemporary art (more information at Application for Graphic Designer below). There is virtually no requirement for English Skill. This is an exception for this special department. Their main jobs are to prepare Powerpoint presentation for each week's meeting; design banners, posters, leaflets, handouts, etc., whenever needed. And most importantly, they, sometimes along with Educational Department, create games for the club. Being creative and innovative is the most important characteristic of the members in this department. Foreign Affair & Public Relation Department This is the one who specializes in negotiation for the club. Raising fund, inviting foreigners to the club are among the work of this department. Members here are required to have an extremely good speaking skill, especially the ability to persuade others. Also, they also need to be in many different circles and have a large network of friends and acquaintances. Sense of humor is the characteristic of the member working in this department. The Director of NTH's English Club often also assumes the role as the head for this department. All the aforementioned departments are subject to change depending on the staff that is in office. Some are merged; others are disintegrated while some others new are established in order to fit the need of the staff. 'The Titles' This includes the ones listed above (i.e., Academic Consultant, Graphic Designer, Vice Director and Director) and a few ancillary, and maybe ad-hoc, positions. Those are Academic Assitant/Junior Suprevisor, Personnel Manager/Chief of Staff, Treasurer and Collaborator. Director and Vice Director The two most pivotal roles in the Club. They are in charge of overall quality control, negotiation with the school, etc. In other words, they are the paramount leaders. Any important decision must reach them before it can be enacted. The youngest director ever to be elected is Lê Chân (in office 2008-2011). Director and Vice Director are purely electoral positions. An election will be held usually after The Halloween Party when the trials all will be then promoted to official staff members. The staff members and trials at the time will write down names of the two whom they entrust these important roles to and hand it over to the vote checkers. Whoever has the highest vote shall become the successor for the position of Director. He/she will take over only after their seniors retire. And the one who is the second in the vote will obviously assume the responsibility of Vice Director. If there is a tie among three or more candidates, a second round is called for. Leadership and decisiveness are among the qualities held by the two leaders of NTH's English Club. Academic Assistant / Junior Supervisor This position is created when there is no Academic Consultant available. Unlike Academic Consultant which can be given to many staff members as long as they work in Educational Department, Academic Assistant can only be held by one person and therefore replaces all the former. He or she who holds this title has the responsibility to supervise and monitor all academic activity of the Club and make sure they are up to standard. The first person ever to be in this position is Nguyễn Thụy Như Quỳnh (in office 2011-2012). The position was later renamed into Junior Supervisor and Vũ Thị Hồng Anh (in office 2012-present) is now assuming this title. Personnel Manager / Chief of Staff When the number of staff members exceeds 20, this position is appointed in order to maintain good quality control for the Club. He or she will supervise every single activity of the Club. Personnel Manager is also the one who receives feedback from the members so as to use it to improve the quality of the staff. Treasurer Unlike the two above, this is not an accessory role. And more specially, there is only one person in charge of this position. Whoever acquires this job always has the gift to manage the fund given to the Club very well along with the capability to perform many difficult calculations in a very fast and precise pace. Accredited as the most trusted person in NTHEC, Treasurer can only and will always be appointed by the Director of the Club. Before being able to receive money to use for events or operation of the Club, staff members must always request approval from the Treasuer. Then, the Treasurer will evaluate the pros and cons, also with the reasonableness and practicality of how the fund would be used. If the request is regarded as satisfactory, staff members will get the payment done immediately. At the end of each event and each year, the Treasurer assume the responsibility to compile a list of expenses to report to the School and the Staff. Collaborator This is an official title for some members who make contribution to NTHEC. They do not involve in usual weekly meeting's preparation. Instead, they help the Club with some big and important events such as NTH's Got Talent, The Halloween Party, etc. The actual number of collaborators fluctuates every year. They are a great source of help to turn to whenever the Club is completely overwhelmed by a mountain of work. Recruitment This procedure is carried out during the summer period and ends in December of the same year until the club has the sufficient amount of staff members needed for operation. The need for such process stems from a very obvious reason: all senior staff members shall be leaving to prepare for their up-coming University Entrance Exam. Everything specified below is subject to change every year. To remain well-informed of the procedure, contact the staff of NTHEC for more information. 'General requirements' Working for the Club requires several different types of qualification. One should consider the following before applying for jobs at NTHEC. The requirements are: *Being able to co-operate with other staff members (i.e., ability to work as a team). *Being able to meet a certain deadline set by department heads for a specific assignment ''(highly important). *Being able to be attuned to every procedure, operation and event of the Club. *Being able to attend the usual staff meeting(s) each week or at least have up-to-the-minute news and information regarding the preparation for weekly meetings or events (highly improtant). *Being high spirit and willing to go extra miles in every task. *Having access to the Internet (most important). 'Application' ''Application for positions other than Graphic Designer In order to be accepted to the club as a staff member, one must undergo a face-to-face interview in order to test their English level and compatibility for the job they request. All positions are asked to demonstrate the ability to speak in front of a group of people ,i.e. to host a meeting, debate, game, etc. Every applicant should make an appointment for the interview with the staff members. Upon coming to the interview, they are required to prepare beforehand two most important things: #A brief but adequate self-introduction. This tests how one can impress others upon their first meeting. Any missing information left out by the applicant's inability can badly hurt the chance of being offered a position in the club. #A chosen topic of preference. The presentation of this topic should be between 3 to 5 minutes. This length is subject to change each year. Please contact the current staff members responsible for this task for more detail. This will test how well you manage your ability to present a topic in front of a crowd without feeling lost or shy. Again, this is another important factor for the staff to decide whether one is up to the tasks in club. After that, a topic will be given to the applicant by the interviewers. Applicants will get five minutes to prepare and subsequently respond to it. Different questions then are asked depending on how well the applicants handle the first part of the interview. The special point about this part is that it takes the form of a debate which means candidate will get the chance to politely argue with the staff member. This will help the interviewers judge one's ability to react when confronted with a whole new unprepared situation. The topics for this second part can vary significantly from year to year and among the candidates. There is actually no high-yield topic which one might predict and prepare for beforehand. And as a matter of course, there is no question bank to familiarize one with the interview either. The staff members in charge of the interview that day will come up with any kind of questions they can think of, which means some topics are completely new and unheard of before. When the interview is over, the result might be informed immediately or after a few days as the staff will have to reconsider some exceptional case before making final decision. A complete feedback of performance on the interview will be given to every applicant in the form of speech in order to help them improve their English Skills. If not satisfied, one may file an instantaneous appeal to the staff about the result. Any appeal made for more than two days after the result has been announced shall not be processed. The time formerly stated is susceptible to change and may vary each and every year depending on the staff's decision. It goes without saying that punctuality and discipline are the key here. Candidates are expected to be on time for the interview and furthermore keep their cell phones, if have any, in meeting profile. Being late, taking calls or texting messages during an interview is certainly something like an unforgivable flaw to any applicant. And also make sure to have oneself properly dressed. A noteworthy point here is that one can always re-apply immediately for job at NTHEC if they have failed the interview. However, it is highly recommended that he/she should not because this second attempt will, most of the time, not yield any change (or at most very minimal). Further trainning is what being indicated at this point. Another try-out next year or after several months is proven to be more effective but still there is no guarantee that one will succeed in being granted a position in the club. Application for Graphic Designer The basic requirement for this post can be listed as following: *Ability to use a graphic design software ranging from Adobe Photoshop, CorelDRAW to anything else available with the only exception of MS Paint which is not fully acknowledged as an authentic tool for professional designer by the head of Multimedia Department. This ability does not just stop at being able to know how to use the software but to such an extent that one should demonstrate their proficiency and competency in using it. *Creativity, artistry and always being innovative. *Ability to work under high pressure. *Ability to keep abreast of many of the latest styles and trends in the world of Art. In order to apply for the position as Graphic Designer, one will have to contact the current head of Multimedia Department and have an appointment. However, this appointment will be very brief and straight to point. It is just something for the recruiters to get first impression from the applicants. Everything will be based solely on the portfolio that is handed in. Applicants will be given a topic to design. They can use whatever technique they want, spend as much time as they like on it. The only thing that matters is the final result. After a certain deadline, they will have to submit their portfolio by having it sent to NTHEC's email or the recruiter's email. Failure to comply with such regulation will result in complete rejection of one's application. However, this might be overlooked for some exceptional case, in which one exceeds far more than the expectation from the recruiter. No matter how fancy the artwork might be, it should contain some weight, carry some sense of meaning and purpose on it. Or else it will significantly hurt the applicant's evaluation. And also, applicants might be able to request for the extension of time for reasons such as Midterm Exam, Test, etc. But the decision whether to lengthen the time or not is all up to the recruiters; if they deem the reason is irrelevant or unsatisfactory then no extension is given. Applicants are expected to design more than one pattern for the Club as it is necessary to fairly judge one's ability through their works. And also, one should expect to get his/her evalutation back from the recruiters right after they have seen the work. There is virtually no English Skills required from applicants. Anyone with limited English level can apply for such position as there is no need for Graphic Designer to host any particular part of the weekly meeting. Unlike other positions, Graphic Designer is always available throughout the year as it is a highly demanding job and is usually short-staffed. 'Trial Period & Staff Training' 'Trial Period' : ''be added 'Staff Training' This process involves the senior passing down the knowledge and experience to the junior or it can be the junior doing their sharpening on their skills. 'Operation's : be added 'Legal Rights and Status' : be added 'Benefits' 'For Regular Members' : be added 'For Staff Members' : be added 'Events' 'NTH's Got Talent (NTHGT)' : Main article: NTH's Got Talent An all-English talent show that was first organized in 2009 by NTHEC. It is still now considered to be the largest and most successful event of the Club. 'The Halloween Party' An event is held every year between the end of October and the beginning of November since the establishment of the Club. 'NTH's English Club Summer Party (NECSP)' : Main article: NTH's English Club Summer Party NTH's English Club Summer Party is a summer activity exclusively for the club's staff and trials. For years to come, it is expected to be a chance to gather every member of staff who once worked or is working for NTHEC. The Party can take many forms ranging from pinic to small gathering at one of the staff member's house. 'Christmas Party' : be added 'Debate Contest' The ideas for this contest came up in the end of 2011. However, until now, everything is still on paper as it has not been given the green ligth by the School Board. Details on how it will be organize may change in future. For further notification, interested members should contact the current staff. 'Contact' Clubs are created to connect people. And this Club is no exception for that. Members and anyone who is interested in NTHEC can contact them through various ways. Each serves different purposes and is developed and updated thorougly by generation and generation of staff members for many years. The media of communication include: 'Facebook ('http://www.facebook.com/nthenglishclub')' This is the official page of the Club. News, information, photos of event and announcements are regularly posted on this website, which is open for everyone to comment and discuss. One can raise a question concerning anything of the Club and the attending staff will try to answer it as soon as possible. People also must comply with the regular rules and code of conduct when they talk in the page as it is open to public. Any violation such as offensive comments that are connected to race, national origin, gender, or physical handicap; profanity or any obscene, pornographic, or otherwise objectionable content or language, etc. uploaded to the website shall be immediately removed from it. If that individual (or group) persists, he/she/they will be barred from accessing the page in the future. Facebook page of NTHEC also contains link to every other media managed by the Club. 'Youtube' ('''http://www.youtube.com/user/nthenglishclub) Created in January, 2011, it is a relatively young channel that includes the entirety of Nguyen Thuong Hien's Got Talent's video collection. As estimated in May 5th, 2012, there are 46 subscribers to the channel with the precise number of 52,998 video views counted. The majority of people who access to the channel mainly watch the video of their own class competing in NTH's Got Talent. Looked on as a place to hold memories to pass through time, it is now gradually being updated by the technicians working for NTHEC in order to lift it to a greater height. '''Gmail (englishclub.nth@gmail.com)' The very first media of communication created by NTHEC. It has been put on intensive use by the Club. People and members can send email to ask question, make suggestion or request via englishclub.nth@gmail.com. Before Facebook page was created, this email was the main source of connection for the Club. Everything between members and staff is done through it. Now, it is for different purposes as the official website of the Club has taken over its traditional role. It is now used almost exclusively for weekly preparation as all staff members send their work into it and then a technician takes it down to compile the Powerpoint presentation. Although it is stated like that above, this email address can still be used to communicate privately between certain members with the staff. Another useful thing about it is that formal email reply to the Club's partners can only be done using it. 'Wikia ('''http://nthenglishclub.wikia.com/wiki/NTH's_English_Club_Wiki) A page with all information and details about the Club. Most of the articles are being judiciously and thorougly re-written and edited in order to inform the readers with the most up-to-date news from the club. To some greater extent, the Wikia page could also be analogously dubbed 'The Veritable Anatomy of NTHEC" whereby it is a comprehensive scientific study on the Club with great insight and perspective from both inside out and outside in. The editors are those senior and former staff members working for the Club throughout many years along with the collaboration from several interested members. Every single article within the NTH's English Club main page is put under close scrutiny with strictly regulated peer review process in order to ensure the highest quality possible. One can state unequivocally that this Wikia page is second to none when compared to other clubs of Nguyen Thuong Hien High School. '''Wordpress This page is still under construction. The real reason for the page to exist and who to take charge of it are still on the table for discussion. 'References' : be added Category:Organization Category:Content